Noted economist Mario Monti is the new Prime Minister of Italy. Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi submitted his resignation amid widespread celebration on the streets of Rome.
Monti, a former European Union commissioner, is to form a new technocratic government that will try to navigate Italy out of the debt crisis. Italy is the world's eighth-largest economy, but now in crisis.
Baby girl born to Actor Abhishek Bachchan and actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan! The delivery took place on the morning of 16th November 2011, at the Seven Hills Hospital in Marol, Mumbai. A proud grandfather, Amitabh tweeted "T 561 - I AM DADA to the cutest baby girl !!"
Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai had married on April 20, 2007 at 'Prateeksha', the Bachchan residence in Juhu, Mumbai.
Czech Republic tennis star Petra Kvitova is theWTA player of the year 2011.
The 21-year-old - also voted Most Improved Player - won six titles in all including Wimbledon, her first Grand Slam crown. She also won end of season WTA championships and led her country to the Fed Cup trophy. She actually rose from the 34th rank to second behind Caroline Wozniacki.
Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu won Newcomer Of The Year after a breakthrough season that saw her reach two finals - both on clay at Marbella and Budapest - and rise from 214 in the world to 38, eventually finishing it at 40th.
This Year's Awards
Player Of The Year: Petra Kvitova (CZE)
Doubles Team Of The Year: Kveta Peschke (CZE)/Katarina Srebotnik (SLO)
Comeback Player Of The Year: Sabine Lisicki (GER)
Most Improved Player Of The Year: Petra Kvitova (CZE)
Newcomer Of The Year: Irina-Camelia Begu (ROM)
The Jamaican star sprinter Usain Bolt was presented the Athlete of the Year Award. This is for the third time that Bolt received this award. Sally Pearson of Australia, the world 100m hurdles champion, won the women's award. Both athletes got checks for $100,000!
Bolt was previously honored in 2008 and 2009 by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), the governing body of athletics. He was under the clutches of an injury in 2010 but returned to form in 2011 and defended his 200m world championship. He also anchored the Jamaican relay team to win the 4x100m relay in a world record time of 37.04 seconds.Bolt was disqualified for a false start in the 100m final won by his compatriot Yohan Blake, but managed to win his other five 100m races. He also scored the best time of 9.76 seconds. The 25-year-old Pearson won gold in South Korea and set a timing of 12.28 seconds, the fastest for 19 years. This is also the fourth best time in history.
Other award winners included Blake for best male performance of the year with his 19.26 seconds run in the 200m at the Diamond League final in Brussels. Vivian Cheruiyot of Kenya won the women's prize for her 5,000/10,000m double gold haul in Daegu.
